Old School Western Saloon and Pub Hybrid Coming to Portland

The West Bayside neighborhood in Portland is about to get a brewery like no other in Maine.

Should you buy a horse and cowboy boots to fit in this western saloon hybrid pub? That's up to you, but Portland certainly hasn't seen the likes of a saloon like this.

Mainebiz says that Argenta Brewing, a tasting-room-style brewery, was created by Ryan Dunlap, a brewer with influences from his time in Nevada and his years here in Maine. The new brewery will be at 82 Hanover Street. It's in a growing area of the West Bayside neighborhood in Portland. Bayside Bowl was the first to start a trend that this neighborhood was booming. Since then, Batson River Portland, Port Properties, Exterus, the Knickerbocker Group, CycleBar, Fortune Tattoo, Wilson County Barbecue, Two Fat Cats Bakery, and When Pigs Fly Bread have made it a destination area.

This area is seeing tremendous growth including the Armature, a brand-new, 171-unit apartment community. Ryan is most excited about the apartments because they fit exactly what he's trying to do. He told Mainebiz,

The way I like to see it is, the way breweries used to be and communities in general, is you go to the spot that is the closest to you and that is kind of the neighborhood spot. So, this neighborhood was lacking something like that. I think that we can bring a lot to the table by being one of the only bar-dedicated spaces in the area.

Argenta Brewing will have five rotating lagers on tap, with nonalcoholic and gluten-free choices too. Ryan also wants to work with local restaurants and food trucks to offer some food, whether that's through pick-up or delivery. Look for Argenta Brewing to open at the end of this month or early March.